Skirt for upholstered furniture

ABSTRACT

A flounce, kick pleat or skirt for upholstered furniture having simulated pleats and presenting a pleasing smooth flat tailored appearance. The flounce includes a series of front and rear panels stitched to a welt cover. The front panels are arranged in side-edge to side-edge relationship with a rear panel behind each abutment line of adjacent front panels. The welt cover is folded around a welt cord lying adjacent the upper edges of the panels and is stitched over the front panels.

[limited States Patent Noble [451 Mar. 28, 1972 [54] SKIRT F OR UPHOLSTERED FURNITURE [72] Inventor: Wilbur E. Noble, Warrenville, Ill. [73] Assignee: Kroehler Mfg. Co., Naperville, Ill.

[22] Filed: Mar. 12, 1971 [21] App1.No.: 123,674

[52] U.S. Cl ..l6l/50, 2/244, 2/275, 5/333, 160/330, 160/386, 160/387, 161/101,

[51] int. Cl. ..B32b 7/08, B32b 7/06 [58] Field of Search ..297/2l8, 219 A, 219 R, 223229; 5/333, 163; 2/244, 275; 296/135; 52/51 1; 160/330,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 674,609 5/1901 l-ligley ..5/333 710,477 10/1902 Littell ..5/333 Hoegger 1 60/385 Dudas ..l60/387 Brandvein...

2,619,658 12/1952 Weinberg 2,804,138 8/1957 Nichols 2,839,127 6/1958 Schutte ..297/224 3,181,594 5/1965 Schapiro ..160/330 3,249,150 5/1966 Knight ..160/184 3,592,256 7/1971 Knight ..l60/332 Primary Examiner-Willard E. Hoag Attorney-Nathan N. Kraus and Joseph R. Marcus [57] ABSTRACT A flounce, kick pleat or skirt for upholstered furniture having simulated pleats and presenting a pleasing smooth flat tailored appearance. The flounce includes a series of front and rear panels stitched to a welt cover. The front panels are arranged in side-edge to side-edge relationship with a rear panel behind each abutment line of adjacent front panels. The welt cover is folded around a welt cord lying adjacent the upper edges of the panels and is stitched over the front panels.

10 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures PATENTEU MAR 28 1972 SHEET 1 [1F 2 Q m m V W SKIRT FOR UPHOLSTEREI) FURNITURE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION F lounces, kick pleats or skirts generally, are attached to the lowermost frame members of upholstered furniture and depend therefrom to conceal the legs and to afford desired styling and esthetic treatment to the article of furniture. Such flounces may be straight or pleated and usually extend substantially to the floor surface. It is, of course, desirable that the flounce, skirt or kick pleat lie fiat against the frame and present a neat, tailored appearance.

The use of polypropylene and other upholstery type fabrics which generally are coarse and heavy in texture do not lend themselves to the fabrication of satisfactory flounces or kick pleats, according to conventional practices, which require reverse folding over of the fabric along a line of stitching adjacent a welt. Flounces made according to such practices are bulky and have an undesirable appearance.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION One of the objects of my invention is the provision of an improved flounce, kick pleat or skirt which lends itself equally well to fabrication from lightweight or bulky coarse fabrics and which affords a pleasing, smooth, flat, tailored appearance.

Another object of my invention is the provision of a flounce which is simple in construction requiring minimum skill for fabrication.

Other and further objects and advantages of my invention will become apparent from the following description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of an upholstered sofa embodying a flounce, in accordance with my invention.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary perspective view, partly in cross section and on an enlarged scale, showing one embodiment ofmy invention.

FIG. 3 is a similar view showing a modified embodiment of my invention.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary front elevational view of the flounce illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, with certain parts broken away to illustrate structural details.

FIG. 5 is a similar rear elevational view of the flounce illustrated in FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken substantially on line 66 of FIG. 4.

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary front elevational view of the modified embodiment illustrated in FIG. 3 and with parts broken away to show structural details.

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view on an enlarged scale taken substantially on line 8-8 of FIG. 4.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring to the drawings, FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate a flounce or kick pleat, in accordance with my invention, the same being attached to the lower frame members of an upholstered sofa. My invention simulates the appearance of a conventional unitary pleated skirt but without the attendant disadvantages. The flounce, indicated generally by the numeral 10, comprises a series of generally rectangular front and rear panels 11 and 12 respectively, each formed of upholstery cover fabric. In each of the front panels 1 1 the side and bottom marginal edges 13 and 14 respectively, are folded under for approximately 1 inch in width and are stitched together along a miter seam 16. Each panel 11 preferably is provided with a suitable fabric liner l7 stitched to the folded under edges 13 and 14. Thus, each panel 11 presents a finished appearance along the side and bottom edges.

Each rear panel 12 is formed of the same upholstery cover fabric and the side and bottom edges are folded back and stitched to a fabric liner 18, the lines of stitching being disposed substantially at the fold lines so that the liner I8 is substantially coextensive in area with the face of the upholstery cover fabric comprising the panel.

As illustrated in FIGS. 4, 5 and 6, in assembly of the flounce a pair of front panels 11 are arranged in substantially sideedge to side-edge abutting relationship with the upper and lower edges in linear alignment. A rear panel 12 is laid under two adjacent front panels 11 with the center line of the rear panel being disposed substantially in registration with the abutment line 15 of the two front panels 11. Thus, each of the front panels 11 overlaps substantially one-half of a rear panel 12.

A welt cover 19 constituting a strip of upholstery fabric is laid face down under theupper marginal edges of the panels 11 and 12 and the panels are stitched to the welt cover 19 along a line of stitching 21 spaced from the lower edge of the welt cover to provide an attachment flap 22, as will be hereinafter explained. A welt cord 23 is laid on the welt cover 19 in abutting relation to the upper edges of the panels 11 and 12. The welt cover is then folded around and over the welt cord 23 and the free edge of the welt cover is folded under to abut the welt cord 23. Thus, the upper edges of the panels 11 and 12 and the edge of the welt cover 19 are substantially in registration and in abutment with the welt cord 23. The welt cover is then stitched to the panels 11 and 12 by a line of stitching 24, said line of stitching passing through the three plys of the welt cover and one or two plys of the panels 11 and 12, as the case may be. (FIGS. 2 and 8) It will be understood that the flounce is completed by stitching additional front and rear panels 11 and 12 respectively, to the welt cover 19 in the same manner hereinabove described, that is, by arranging ad jacent front panels 11 in abutment and disposing a rear panel 12 rearwardly of the front panels at each abutment line 15. The welt cover 19 is then stitched to the panels 11 and 12 in the manner hereinabove described. The length of the assembled flounce may be varied as desired. Preferably, the length is such as to encompass the front and sides of the article of furniture on which it is to be attached.

The flounce is attached to the lower frame members 17 in a conventional manner by superimposing a stiffening strip 28 over the attachment flap 22 and then stapling or tacking both the strip 28 and flap to the frame members.

It will be apparent from the foregoing that there is provided a flounce structure, in accordance with my invention, which achieves the visual impression of a box pleated flounce skirt having a neat tailored appearance and in which the panels all lie in a flat place and are uniformly similar.

In the modified embodiment of my invention illustrated in FIG. 7 the flounce 29 is shown as formed of a flat continuous single panel 31 without simulated pleats. In this embodiment the panel 31 may be formed either like panels 11 or 12 and, of course, should be of sufficient length to extend around the front and sides of the article of furniture. The method of construction and assembly of the flounce is similar to that above described.

Various changes coming within the spirit of my invention may suggest themselves to those skilled in the art; hence, I do not wish to be limited to the specific embodiments shown and described or uses mentioned, but intend the same to be merely exemplary, the scope of my invention being limited only by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. The method of making a skirt for upholstered furniture comprising, providing a fabric panel of desired size, providing 7 an elongated strip of fabric, stitching the upper edge of said panel to said strip along a line parallel to and spaced from the lower edge of said strip, positioning a welt cord on said strip adjacent said upper edge of said panel and folding said strip around said welt cord and over said upper edge of said panel and stitching said strip to said panel, a free edge of said strip extending beyond the stitching to form a means for attaching said skirt to said furniture.

2. The invention as defined in claim 1 in which the free edge of the strip is folded under prior to being stitched to the panels.

3. The method of making a skirt for upholstered furniture comprising, providing a plurality of panels of upholstery material arranging certain of said panels in side-edge to sideedge abutting relationship, positioning certain other of said panels under said first mentioned panels, each in registration with an abutment line of said first mentioned panels, providing an elongated strip of upholstery material, stitching the upper edges of said panels to said strip along a line parallel to and spaced from the lower edge of said strip, positioning a welt cord on said strip adjacent the upper edges of said panels, folding said strip around said welt cord and over said upper edges ofsaid panels an stitching said strip to said panels, a free edge of said strip extending beyond the stitching to form a means for attaching said skirt to said furniture.

4. The invention as defined in claim 3 in which the free edge of the strip is folded under prior to being stitched to the panels.

5. The invention as defined in claim 3 in which the side and bottom marginal edges of the forward panels are folded under.

6. A skirt comprising an elongated strip of upholstery material a panel of upholstery material having its upper edge overlapping said strip and stitched thereto along a line parallel to and spaced from the lower edge of said strip, and a welt cord disposed adjacent the upper of said panel, said strip being folded around said welt cord and being stitched to said panel along a line parallel to the edge thereof, a free edge of said strip extending beyond the stitching to form a means for attaching said skirt to said furniture.

7. A skirt comprising an elongated welt cover strip, a first series of panels of upholstery material each disposed rearwardly of said first series, the upper edge portions of said panels being superimposed over the lower portion of said strip and being stitched thereto along a line parallel to and spaced from the lower edge of said strip, a welt cord disposed adjacent the upper edges of said panels, said strip being folded around said welt cord and being stitched to said panels in superposed relation along a line parallel to the upper edges of said panels, a free edge of said strip extending beyond the stitching to form a means for attaching said skirt to said furniture.

8. The invention as defined in claim 7 in which the free edge of the welt cover strip is folded under before stitching.

9. The invention as defined in claim 7 in which the side and bottom marginal edge portions of each of the first series of panels are folded under and secured.

10. The invention as defined in claim 7 in which each of the second series of panels is disposed with the center line thereof substantially in registration with an abutment line of adjacent panels of said first series. 

1. The method of making a skirt for upholstered furniture comprising, providing a fabric panel of desired size, providing an elongated strip of fabric, stitching the upper edge of said panel to said strip along a line parallel to and spaced from the lower edge of said strip, positioning a welt cord on said strip adjacent said upper edge of said panel and folding said strip around said welt cord and over said upper edge of said panel and stitching said strip to said panel, a free edge of said strip extending beyond the stitching to form a means for attaching said skirt to said furniture.
 2. The invention as defined in claim 1 in which the free edge of the strip is folded under prior to being stitched to the panels.
 3. The method of making a skirt for upholstered furniture comprising, providing a plurality of panels of upholstery material arranging certain of said panels in side-edge to side-edge abutting relationship, positioning certain other of said panels under said first mentioned panels, each in registration with an abutment line of said first mentioned panels, providing an elongated strip of upholstery material, stitching the upper edges of said panels to said strip along a line parallel to and spaced from the lower edge of said strip, positioning a welt cord on said strip adjacent the upper edges of said panels, folding said strip around said welt cord and over said upper edges of said panels and stitching said strip to said panels, a free edge of said strip extending beyond the stitching to form a means for attaching said skirt to said furniture.
 4. The invention as defined in claim 3 in which the free edge of the strip is folded under prior to being stitched to the panels.
 5. The invention as defined in claim 3 in which the side and bottom marginal edges of the forward panels are folded under.
 6. A skirt comprising an elongated strip of upholstery material a panel of upholstery material having its upper edge overlapping said strip and stitched thereto along a line parallel to and spaced from the lower edge of said strip, and a welt cord disposed adjacent the upper of said panel, said strip being folded around said welt cord and being stitched to said panel along a line parallel to the edge thereof, a free edge of said strip extending beyond the stitching to form a means for attaching said skirt to said furniture.
 7. A skirt comprising an elongated welt cover strip, a first series of panels of upholstery material each disposed rearwardly of said first series, the upper edge portions of said panels being superimposed over the lower portion of said strip and being stitched thereto along a line parallel to and spaced from the lower edge of said strip, a welt cord disposed adjacent the upper edges of said panels, said strip being folded around said welt cord and being stitched to said panels in superposed relation along a line parallel to the upper edges of said panels, a free edge of said strip extending beyond the stitching to form a means for attaching said skirt to said furniture.
 8. The invention as defined in claim 7 in which the free edge of the welt cover strip is folded under before stitching.
 9. The invention as defined in claim 7 in which the side and bottom marginal edge portions of each of the first series of panels are folded under and secured.
 10. The invention as defined in claim 7 in which each of the second series of panels is disposed with the center line thereof sUbstantially in registration with an abutment line of adjacent panels of said first series. 